The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-02-17

ern farms nine-tents 0f the urine OF stocK
is practically lost. When not at work
they are allowed to run at large in open
yards where there is no absorbent; or If
there is ONE to absorb it, the rains most
efectually leach it out in the end.
Keep in large stalls, when not at work,
and these stalls kept we'll Uttered, a very
large portion of the urine is absorbed
and perfectly saved. When litter is
impregnated with urine, its quality is
greatly improved. 1t is a very different
thing from litter simply mixed with solid
excrement and rotted. Here is room for
great improvement. in our methods-tbis
husbanding Of the urine.
Again, stalls should not be cleaned
out more than once year. Managed as
above, neither the health nor>the cleanli.
ness of animals demand it, and under no
other conditions can manure be accumu-
lated with so little loss 'detriment to
its quality. The great foe to barn-yard
manure of high quality is the open yard.
Abundant littefing helps matters some,
but teaching will be great. The dark,
rich juices which flow from it after every
heavy or protracted rain are impregnated
with salts of ammonia no less than soluble
mineral ingredients. Let us Danish the
open yards from our farms. and change
the name from barn yard to stall manure.
Another source of bulky, organic
manure, which is quite unlimited, and
which may serve as basis for compost,
is leaves, straw, etc, decomposed by the
agency Of ashes and lime. Ashes may
be used alone or in combination with
lime, or lime may be used alone. In the
last case the chief function of the lime is
to decompose and reduce the leaves.
When ashes are used alone, they accom-
plish The same purpose, but in addition
increase very materially the fertiliziug
properties of the leaves. They add to
them lime, potash, magnesia, phosphoric
and sulphuric acids indeed, every min.
ers. ingredient needed by plants. If a
proper amount of ammonia and some
phosphoric acid be added to such mix
ture, very complete and perfect manure
is produced. Such mixture, then,
makes an excellent basis for a compost.
Ashes and lime should not be added di-
rectly to stable manure; they will drive
off ammonia. But after those substances
have been mixed with large quantities Of
leaves, have become diluted and marked
by them, and entered into new combina-
tions, they may then be mixed with
stable manure without detriment. Ten
bushels of ashes to three or four we'll
packed two horse wagon loads of leaves
makes good mixture. 1t ought to be
prepared some months before it enters
into the final compost heap. A farmer
might begin now, and at all available
opportunities through the year, gather
and haul leaves and put up pens Of such
mixtures. He would be astonished at
the amount which system and energy
would accumulate in the course of a year.
It should not be put in pilee, but in pens
four or FIVE feet high, we'll moistened to
start with, we'll packed and covered at
top with layer of rich dirt several
inches thick to retain moisture. After
auch a heap has been we'll moistened,
rains will be apt to keep it wet enough
afterwards. Rain will leach thin layers
of manure scattered in a yard or the thin
edges Of a spread.out heap, but will not
leach a mass four feet thick With straight
upright sides.
Now, supposing a farmer has the sew.
eral materials mentioned on hand and is
ready to make his compost-howS shall
he- proportion the several Ingredients !?
Furman's formula, now so extensively
used, is 1hixty bushels each of stable
manure and cotton seed, 400 pounds of
acid phosphate and 200 pounds Of kainit.
Experience has shown this to be a very
excellent compound for land of average
fertility. Can it and should it ever be
varied2 Suppose one has cotton seed,
but no stable manure. In such case, ten
additional bushels of cotton seed should
take the place of the lacking manure; so
that the formula would read 40 bushels of
cotton seed, 400 pounds of acid phos-
phate and 200 pounds Of kainit. But it
would be desirable, to keep up the de-
sired dilution of the chemical fertilizers
in the compost, to mix with above iDgre-
dients twenty. FIVE or thirty bushels OF
rich earth, or wood mold, or something
of the kind. Again, suppose one has
stable manure bat no cotton seed the
place of the cotton seed may be taken by
cotton seed meal-say 80 bushels of ma
nure, 800 pounds of cotton seed meal,
400 pounds of acid phosphate and 200
pounds of kaiuit. Suppose ones land is
extremely poor. Then the quantity Of
the cotton seed in the compost may be
doubled, the quantities of other ingredi-
ents remaining the same. If ones land
is quite rich, half or even less of the
cotton seed may enter into the compost,
the other constituents remaining the
same. Suppose one has the mixture Of
leaves and ashes, but no manure or cotton
seed; then the formula should be 60
bushels of leaf mixture, 400 pounds Of
cotton seed meal, 400 pounds of acid
phosphate and 100 pounds of kainit.
Less kainit would be called for in this
case, because the ashes, in leaf mixture,
would take its place. If lime only was
mixed with the leaves, the full quantity
Of kainit should be added.
1t is we'll to build the compost pens in
or near the fields to which it is to be